The results are in for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office “Operation Burn Trash Lose Cash,” which ran from May 2nd to the 22nd in east El Paso County.

During the operation, the Sheriff’s Office Community Service Section focused on educating the public on the County Burn Ban using local media outlets and by distributing flyers and information relating to the County Burn Ban and ordinance to the residents of East Montana.

The Sheriff’s Office East Montana Patrol Station proactively located and identified illegal burning violations, the results for the operation resulted in 10 citations for violating the ordinance.

Violating the County Burn Ban is a Class C misdemeanor and can result in a citation and fine up to $500, in addition to any court costs.

The El Paso County is continuously under a burn ban issued by the El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar and the Court of Commissioners. Often considered a drought-stricken area the El Paso County is constantly under threat of damage, injury, and loss of life and property resulting from the threat of wildfires.

Under the County Burn Ban, only “authorized” outdoor burning activities include firefighter training, public utility or planting or harvesting of agricultural crops.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office asks for the community to report any illegal burning to 915-546-2280, as we continue to work on deterring the public from outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of El Paso County.

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